


Somethings can't be Fixed

by Lizphills500



Series: Loki a true Avenger [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avenger Loki, Canonical Character Death, Good Loki, Jötunn Loki, Loki Angst, Loki Needs a Hug, M/M, Thor is a dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-10 00:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5560999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizphills500/pseuds/Lizphills500
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane finds the Aether and starts a chain of events which brings Loki back to Earth.  AS events unfold, Loki suffers loss in more than one but there is light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a little while but here is the 4th part of my Loki avenger series. This story covers the events of Dark World and Winter Solider in the timeline.
> 
> If you haven't already, please read The Two Captain, Revenge is Best Served on Asgard and Loki's Avengers first.

Jane Foster sat at the desk nodding off. It had been a week since she had been contacted by Erik and she was worried. After the events of New York, her oldest friend had been behaving strangely. SHIELD had been preoccupied with the battle clean up and had left Erik to his own devices. His own devices had laid him to London for some reason and that is where Jane had followed him to.

Jane had had a less than interesting 2 years. She had received funding grants from SHIELD to research the Bifrost but after Loki left New Mexico, the anomalies stopped appearing. Then a year ago, she was asked to consult in an Observatory in Tromso. When she got there, however she found there was little for her to do. Only when Darcy got the live news feeds for the New York Battle did she realise she was being kept out of the way. She spotted Loki several times and he looked like he was having a hard fight. When she saw Erik in the aftermath, Jane and Darcy jumped on the first available flight to New York. 

They got there to find Erik wondering alone and Loki had already left for Asgard again. He had thought of Jane. A tall blond with blue eyes had approached her after a SHEILD Agent had pointed her out. He handed her a letter before disappearing into the crowd again. The letter was from Loki (it would seem he knew she would come) and contained an apology and an explanation for not returning as promised and for being unable to contact her on this visit. 

There had been no further activity in New Mexico and Loki still had not returned, so when the call from Erik came in, she took a chance and hoped to find something interesting when she got there. What she found was an empty apartment, papers covering every surface which were full of equations which made no sense and Erik missing, not answering his phone. So she was sat waiting for her friend to come back. 

 

Darcy woke Jane with a shove. “Hey look at these.” And put the scientific instrument under her nose. Jane blinked a couple of times to make sure she was awake, and looked at the readings. This couldn’t be right

“This must be broken.” Jane tapped the side and then hit the table with the scanner. She looked again. The readings still hadn’t changed, if anything they were getting stronger. She looked at Darcy. While the girl still had her own style which tended to drive Jane crazy most of the time, Darcy experiences working with had got her interested in science properly and she had learnt how to read most of the equipment and understood up to a point what the readings meant. 

“These readings are similar to New Mexico.” Jane exclaimed.

“That’s what I thought. I got a source and its coming from a factory across town.” Answered Darcy with a smile all the time wolfing down a bag of corn chips.

Jane and Darcy headed to the car. Ian, Darcy’s intern was already sat inside. He had turned up 2 days ago and was following Darcy round like a puppy, even though he knew far more about the equipment then Darcy did. Jane wasn’t really sure what he was doing here, but as with everything with Darcy, you either rolled with it or it gave you a headache. She had stuck with Jane since the very beginning and Jane was very fond of her.

The journey across the city was a little nail biting as Darcy was not great at giving directions early enough for the safety of the other drives. It wasn’t helped by Jane leaving Erik yet another voicemail on his answer phone. 

When they finally got to the factory, it was deserted. The readings however were coming through stronger than ever. They spread out looking for the source. It was Ian who found the right direction. They headed in to the factory, and the signal was getting stronger all the time. Jane suddenly jumped as a flock of birds took off from behind a plastic sheet. Getting closer, Jane heard more movement. 

“I am not getting stabbed in the name of science.” Darcy says, before shouting out “It’s okay, we’re Americans!”

Jane shook her head in disbelief. “Is that supposed to make them like us?”

It must have worked, however as three children, two boys and a girl, the oldest looking no more then 10, came out from behind the sheet. They were whispering among themselves, clearly expecting to be in trouble.

Jane breathed a sigh of relief “Oh, they’re kids.”

The girl seemed to be the bravest and said “Are you the police?”

Jane smiled, hoping to reassure the children. “No we’re scientists. Well, I am.”

Darcy glared at Jane but said nothing. The children still looked a little guilty and the older boy said “We just found it”

Jane looked confused. The children clearly believed that Jane already knew what was here. She decided to play along “Will you show us?”

The children lead the way to an abandoned cement truck. The older boy reached out with one hand and using just one finger, picked up the truck and sent it into a very slow spin. Jane’s eyes grew wide. In New Mexico, Loki had shown her some of the wonders that were possible using his magic, but she guessed that even he would be unable to do what this kid had just done without any effort.

There was more. The children headed into a stair well. They went up about halfway, when the girl stopped and picked up old bottle. She held it over the edge and dropped it. The bottle fell about 3 feet before it vanished into thin air.

Jane was finding this day harder and harder to get her head around “Where’d it go?”

The girl smiled and pointed up. Seconds later, the bottle appeared above their heads, fell and vanished again. They allowed this to happen a few times before catching it again. 

“That’s… That’s incredible.” Jane stammers out. Wanting to try her own experiment, she picked up a can and dropped it over the edge. She looked up ready for it to reappear. It didn’t. “What happened?”

The girl shrugged “Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don’t.”

Darcy was keen to join in the game and started badgering Jane and then Ian for things to drop.

Jane left the others playing with their new toy, although she did hear Darcy saying something about car keys. While the anomaly was fascinating, it wasn’t the source of the readings and Jane needed to find them. She continued to the next level up and found herself in a wide corridor. The other end was dark and intimidating. There was something that called to her and as if she had no control, she was dragged into the darkness and vanished.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki has shouldered the rule of Asgard far to long while Thor seeks adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify, at least 3 years has passed on Asgard while only one has passed on Earth

Thor had returned from his latest adventure and Loki was glad to hand control of the Throne back to him again. When the Bifrost had finally been completed, the reports came in from all over the Nine Realms. The absence of Asgard to keep the peace had meant marauders had pillaged without restraint and Thor had to actively intervene to restore the balance. It had taken 2 years and in that time Thor had continually left Asgard to Loki. Thor had claimed that the realms needed to see the King lead the army of Asgard and protect the people. Loki knew differently. The burdens of the throne were getting too heavy for Thor to carry and he had needed an escape. This at least Loki could sympathize with.

Odin still remained in the Odinsleep and showed no sign of recovery, while Frigga maintained her vigil. Loki had found himself sitting with the Allfather for a time each day. It gave his mother a chance to rest and was the only place where he could be undisturbed with his thoughts. 

Everything he had told Steve on Earth that last night had come true. The second he had Amora deposited in a cell and the Tesseract in the weapons vault, Loki had gone to Thor to request his return to Midgard. Thor had refused. In the few days Loki had been on Midgard, 2 months had passed on Asgard and Thor had coped better then Loki had hoped. He however had felt the true pressures of ruling for the first time since becoming King and he had not enjoyed. He now expected Loki to take on many of the more tedious tasks and leave Thor to go stomping round the realms looked for a fight, in the name of protecting Asgard of course. What Thor would do when the Realms were at peace, Loki was very interested to see.

Amora was still alive but imprisoned in the dungeons. Both Loki and Frigga had hoped that given time and in exchange for a lighter sentence, she would undo or at least reveal what she had done to Odin. As of yet, she was not cooperating but there was time, centuries in fact.

 

Thor entered the throne room, full of the thrill of victory. Loki stood from the Throne to formally handed over Gungir and with it control of Asgard to the King and then withdrew. The feasting would start soon and Loki was in no mood for the festivities. Fandral noticed as always and followed.

“Leaving again, Loki? You know Thor would want you to stay, the sons of Odin united.” Fandral said a chuckle in his voice as if he found the idea amusing.

Loki smiled as well. “If only they knew. Thor looks on me as a necessary inconvenience and we could not be untied if Mother married us. I tell you, my friend if not for Mother and the hope of waking Odin, I would not still be here.”

“So why stay? Your heart is on Earth, has been for years. Thor relies on you too much to fix his mistakes; you will never be free waiting for him.”

Loki shook his head. “If that Witch ever tells us what she did to the Allfather, it will be easier to undo it if I am on hand. I cannot leave Asgard while there is still that chance for Father.”

Fandral felt for his friend. It was hard enough living under Thor’s boot, but to know that there were people who loved you and were waiting for you in another realm must be worse. He rested his hand lightly on his friends shoulder. “Go before you are missed. Heimdall will be waiting for you as always. I will entertain our King.”

Loki walked all the way to the new observatory. He found that he enjoyed stretching his legs rather than riding or using his magic. As predicted, Heimdall was indeed waiting for him. The pair had struck up an easy peace, almost friendship between them over recent year. Heimdall was looking out to the stars. “Can you feel it, Loki? The convergence draws closer. It is a wondrous site to behold, one we will not see again in our lifetimes.”

“I feel the currents of magic in the realms. They are shifting and changing. It is a little odd, but interesting all the same.” Loki replied. They had talked of the convergence of the realms often recently. They were of the few who experienced it in full glory, each in their own way.

“Your brother has no interest in such things; his heart is filled with war. Still it is strange to think that for those few minutes, Midgard will be the centre of the universe. Maybe we will all love it the way you do.”

Loki smiled. There was little that could be hidden from Heimdall and Loki had tried over the years. Still him knowing all made him understand why Loki came here every night. “Tell me of him.” He asked simply.

“He fights to protect his world as always. He still awaits your return. Many have tried to claim him, none have prevailed.” 

Loki already knew the last nugget of information. He knew that Steve would wait his whole life for Loki to return to him. Loki in return did no less for Steve, waiting for the chance to be with him again. 

Thor had attempted to arrange a marriage for Loki to secure a stronger alliance with one of the other realms, but Loki had refused and Frigga had supported him. Only she, Fandral and Heimdall knew the full extent of his affection for Steve. Thor suspected there was someone on Midgard but wasn’t certain. 

Loki decided to check on his other friends. “How does Jane fair? I have forgotten her of late.”

“Busy. Her work has made her respected by many on her world. There is always something………I cannot see her. She is not on Earth.”

“How can she not be on Earth, Heimdall? There is no way for her to leave, all the pathways were closed by Amora.” Loki was worried. He liked the scientist and felt responsible for her.

Heimdall turned to face Loki. “The Convergence does strange things to the realms. Paths open that were not there before”

Loki made a decision. “Send me to Earth, Heimdall. I need to find her and ensure she is safe.”

“Loki, the last time I allowed you to leave like this, it did not end well. The King will forbid it.”

“So I shall not ask him. Please Heimdall, humans do not just disappear from your sight, there is something more to this and that world is under my protection no matter what Thor has to say on the subject.”

Heimdall watched Loki carefully. Over the years, the Prince had endured more hardships then he should. Thor had reduced him to little more than a lackey at court and he was worth more than that. He rarely acted rashly and always when there was need.

“Very well, my Prince”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finds Jane but is faced with a new problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to me being half asleep at the time, I accidently posted the first 2 chapters together. As much as I would love to post as that rate, I would run out of content rapidly.
> 
> This chapter is a little short but the next one will make up for that

Jane woke up lying in the corridor. She looked at her arm. There was something about it that she couldn’t remember. The corridor looked completely normal now and when she checked the scanner, the readings had fallen significantly and were emanating from the children’s gravitational anomaly. Whatever she had been picking up before had gone. Jane got up, brushed herself down and went looking for Darcy and Ian.

Jane made her way outside to find Darcy had called the police. This was not what she needed. Police meant authorities, which meant SHIELD, which meant them interfering again just like New Mexico. 

Darcy spotted Jane and came running over to her. “Jane! Where the hell were you?”

Jane was livid. “Darcy, what were you thinking calling the Police? We had everything we wanted. We had stable gravitational anomaly, we had readings that are the closest to the Bifrost we have ever seen and all we had were three 10 years olds between us and it. Now, the place will be crawling with SHIELD by the morning, sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”

Darcy grabbed Jane’s arms “Jane, you were gone for 5 hours. We searched the whole building before we called the cops. Twice”

Jane stared at Darcy for a moment “What?” 

Jane then noticed that Darcy wasn’t looking at her anymore and was instead looking over her shoulder. Jane turned to look at whatever had her attention. Standing between two containers was Loki. She stared for a few seconds then ran over to him. She stopped just short, walked the last few steps and slapped him hard across the face. He was shocked but smiled. Jane had lost none of her passion.

“I’m sorry, I want to be sure you were real.” Stammered Jane

“Well, I am real, so I beg you to refrain from further violence. Did you receive my letter?” Asked Loki pulling her in to a hug.

“I did, thanks and I’m sorry things didn’t go the way they were meant. If your back now, does that mean the Bifrost is repaired” Jane looked hopeful, remembering the promise he made her.

Loki looked guilty. “It has been for over 2 years, but my brother seems to want to keep a leash around my neck to do his bidding. I have disobeyed his command by coming here but when I knew that you had gone, I had to make sure you were well.”

Jane looked confused, it had only been a year since the battle of New York. Still that was something they could talk about later “Darcy said I was missing for 5 hours, but I don’t remember anything.”

As if her name had summoned her, Darcy appeared by their side “I’m pretty sure we’re getting arrested.” Darcy flicked her eyes at Loki then blushed. She had had a crush on him since he left New Mexico.

Jane looked over to the officers putting Ian in handcuffs. She grimmest and said the Loki “One second,” She stormed over the Policemen. “Excuse me!”

The Police officer turned and looked at her “Are you Jane Foster?”

“Dr Jane Foster, yes. What are you doing with my intern, well my intern’s intern? Never mind, what are you doing?”

The Officer looked bored and replied “This is private property and you’re trespassing, the lot of you. You’ll have to come with me.” 

The Officer reached over to take Jane’s arm. There was a flash of dark red light and a shock wave that blow the Officers off their feet. Loki shielded Darcy from the blast and then ran over to Jane, who was now lying on the floor. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, helping her to a seated position.

“I don’t know. What was that, Loki?” Jane replied rubbing her hand over her arm. Loki looked and saw red pulsing under the skin. 

“I am not certain but we must get you to Asgard. I need to speak to my Mother. She will know more” Loki looked concerned.

The officer was back on his feet and had called for back-up. To Loki he said “Put your hands where I can see them and step back. She’s dangerous.”

Loki glared at the Officer, his eyes burning red for a moment. “I assure you, you are safer with her then you are with me.”

Loki helped Jane up and pulled her into a clear space. “Heimdall”


	4. Chapter 4

The Bifrost hit the ground and Jane felt as if she was being thrown across space. It was an incredible feeling with all the lights flying past her. She wished now she had her camera or scanner to take readings as they went. After only a few seconds, both she and Loki were stood in the Observatory, looking at Heimdall.

“Welcome Dr Foster. Loki, the King is still ignorant to your visit but that will not last long. Your mother is in her chambers.”

“Thank you, Heimdall.” Loki nodded and taking Jane’s hand, teleported to just outside the palace. Protection wards had been put in place to prevent teleportation spells within the Palace walls to ensure that, if Amora did get out of her cell she would have to make her escape on foot. This would it harder for her to leave Asgard before she was recaptured.

Jane marvelled at the sheer size of everything. The palace was beautiful with bright colours and walls of gold. There were people everywhere and many looked Jane up and down. Loki knew that some would go running to the Warriors 3 and others to Thor. The question was which would get to Loki first.

They found Frigga in her rooms. She looked up in surprise to find a mortal on Asgard. Loki greeted her warmly and then introduced Jane. “Mother, this is Jane Foster of Earth, Jane this is my Mother, Frigga, Queen of Asgard.” 

Jane dropped into a curtsey which made both Loki and Frigga smile. “There is no need to be formal, my dear. You are my son’s friend and he has talked of you often.”

Loki became serious “I am sorry for disturbing your rest mother but I fear a great evil is awakening.”

He beckoned Jane to show his mother her arm. The glow had gone, but even now Loki could feel a strange energy under the skin. Frigga used her magic to see below the surface. Her eyes snapped opened and met Loki’s. She rose and retrieved a book from her study. She laid it on the table and opened it to a page Loki recognised.

“It is the Aether then. How is it still here? The story is that Borr destroyed it.” Pondered Loki after a moment.

“Powers such as these are too strong to destroy. They must be contained.” Said Frigga. 

“Could someone tell me what is going on?” said Jane, clearly frustrated. 

Frigga took Jane’s hand. “My dear, what is inside you is one of the most powerful artefacts in reality. The Aether, one of the Infinity Stones. It was created by the Dark Elves. They wished to use it to return the Universe to the Darkness before time began. It was Odin’s father Borr who defeated them before the last Convergence. He took the Aether from them and their leader, Malekith ordered his ships to crash into the Asgard army, killing friend and foe alike. Their race is no more and it would seem Borr hid the Aether where he hoped up it would never be found. I am afraid it will continue to feed off your life force as it attempts to become more powerful.”

While it was not said, everyone in the room understood that unless they found a way to remove it, the Aether would be fatal to Jane.

Thor arrived with 2 guards just as Loki went to comfort her. “Loki, you have gone too far. You have ignored my commands and now you return with a mortal in tow. Remove her to the Bifrost.”

“Thor, don’t” shouted Loki as the guard grabbed Jane’s arm. The shock waves knocked everyone but Loki and Frigga to the ground. Jane also remained standing this time.

“By the Norns, Loki what have you done?” growled Thor. His face was red and Loki stepped between him and Jane.

“I have done nothing, Thor. It is the Aether. Somehow Jane found where grandfather hid it after the war with the Dark Elves.” Explained Loki

“I remember cold, a large space. There was a stone with a red light inside. The stone open and the red touched me.” Jane voice sounded distant like she wasn’t in the room anymore but somewhere else. Loki turned and took her arm gently. This brought her back to herself and Jane looked less afraid.

“Thor, this woman will stay here under my protection.” Said Frigga. Thor may be King, but until he married she was still the Queen and Thor could do little to argue when she had spoken. 

He could however deal with Loki. Through gritted teeth, he said “Take Loki to the dungeon until I am ready to deal with him.”

“Thor” Frigga said with a warning in her voice.

“Mother, he disobeyed my commands and brought danger to Asgard. I am within my rights.” Thor returned.

Loki did not want to be the cause of yet another argument between mother and son. Jane was protected and Frigga would begin the search to remove the Aether. He turned and took his mother hand, squeezing gently. Then he nodded to the guards, neither of whom looked partially comfortable with their orders, and left the room with them with Thor following, a sour look on his face.

 

Fandral escorted the last of the prisoners from Thor latest battles to the dungeons. He deposited them in a cell and then wondered to another at the end. Loki was sat by the back wall.

“Do you know how not to get yourself into trouble, Loki?” Fandral was trying to lighten the mood but he knew that Thor had yet again chosen a course of action that would prove unwise.

Loki smiled. “I love the attention, you know that. When do I ever do anything small?” 

“I’ve seen Jane, but not yet spoken to her. She looks well, all things considered. Frigga is keeping in her in her chambers.” 

“I take you have heard the she found the Aether. All I have to do is find a way to remove it from her before it kills her.” Loki’s face was now showing the concern he felt. 

“It is the talk of Asgard as is your fight with Thor. I can tell you there are many who are unhappy at your being in here. They may not agree with you bringing Jane to Asgard, but they trust your judgement over Thor’s.” continued Fandral. He also knew that if Loki ever wanted the Throne there were those who would follow him, most of the Palace guards included, but Loki never wanted to be King and loved Thor too much, despite everything the other man had done, to challenge him, so kept that information to himself.

Loki was more concerned with Jane then his own fate. Once Thor calmed down, he was sure that his brother would be more then interested in her, but Jane would not fall head over heels that so many before her and Thor was used to getting what he wanted.

“As long as Thor is leaving Jane alone, I am content for now. Will you watch over her? Another friendly face will make her feel more comfortable. And be on your guard. The Legend was wrong about the Aether, it could be wrong about other things.” 

Fandral nodded and headed back up to the upper levels of the Palace. Loki’s eyes now drifted further down the hall way to a cell with 4 guards outside. He would never make the mistake of underestimating Amora again. Hers was the only cell with permanent guards stationed outside.

 

Thor watched as Frigga and Jane sat in the Queens private gardens. There was a time when Thor was a welcome visitor at any time. These days, while it had never been said in words, Frigga had made it clear he come only visit her when she invited him. Thor could not understand why his mother favoured Loki, when he was adopted and a Jotun at that.

Beside, it was not Frigga Thor was interesting in at the moment. He was focused on Jane. Loki assessment had been right when the two first meet in New Mexico. Jane’s small frame and dark hair were features that Thor preferred in a lover. Frigga had given her a gown of dark blue and she looked beautiful. As of yet, Thor had still not taken a wife, but was proving to be one of the biggest womanisers in Asgard. He now had his sights on Jane. There was not a woman who could resist him and this Earthling would be no different.

The women left the garden and were heading for the Banquet hall. It was nearly time for dinner. Frigga’s attention was drawn by one of the other ladies and she left Jane alone for a moment. Thor took his chance, walked over to her and pulled her to the side.

“Jane Foster, I must apologize for my actions before. I did not mean to frighten you.” Thor smiled, use to having it reduce women to their knees.

Jane looked him up and down. The king was attractive certainly, but there was something about him she just didn’t like. “Sire, I appreciate your concern, but I think I should return to the Queen.”

“Come, let us start afresh, my dear. Let me show you the wonders of Asgard. You are too pretty a creature to stay within the Palace walls.” Thor pursued. He would not let her get away from him.

Jane pulled away and King or not she was not going to hold back “You locked up the only one whom I’m interested in giving me a guided tour and if you don’t mind me saying, I think you really need to stop treating your brother like shit.”

“Jane.” Fandral had arrived just in time to hear the last exchange and jumped in before Thor got too angry “it has been too long. Tell me how are Darcy and Dr Selvig. Loki could tell us little after his last visit to Earth.”

Fandral took advantage of custom on Asgard. He had known Jane first and therefore had prior claim to her attention, even over the King. Jane, grateful to be rescued, took Fandral’s arm and he led her back to Frigga. She had rather liked Fandral when they last met and had hoped to see him again. 

Thor growled but said nothing. Even he understood this was not the time to make a scene. He was determined however to claim this girl for his, if nothing else to put her in her place.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Elves attack

While he could not see the cell in question, Loki knew something was wrong. The magical walls of each cell was designed to prevent a magic user for affecting anything beyond the cell, but even through 2 walls, Loki could feel the intense energy. 

The Creature that smashed out of the cell looked like something from Loki’s worse nightmare. It dispatched the guards and worked its way along the corridor, stopping at each cell and released the prisoners inside, including Amora. As she made her escape, she stopped outside Loki’s cell and the paired stared at each before she grinned and ran up the stairs closely followed by the nightmare creature.

The Warriors 3 arrived just after with a large division of Guards. Fandral managed to open Loki’s cell before being dragged into a fight with one of the other prisoners. Loki got hold of a sword from one of the fallen guards before joining the battle. It was a short as the inmates were overwhelmed by the sheer weight of numbers. 

Just as the last were dispatched, Loki’s mind was filled with an image of his mother being stabbed. Someone was watching and was making sure he knew what was going on and he could guess who that someone was. He abandoned the dungeons and run to his mother’s chambers just in time to see Thor hit a Dark Elf with his lightening. The Elf and the nightmare creature fell over the balcony on to a waiting ship and escaped. Loki dropped to his knees by his mother, cradled her head in his arms and screamed.

Jane came running into the room from the antechamber she had been hiding in. Loki was silent now, holding his Mother. Thor on the other hand was staring at Jane with a look of pure hate.

 

The Funeral was grand. There were hundreds in attendance. Frigga had been Queen for 3000 years and had been well loved by all. Thor took the place that should have Odin’s while Loki was further back with Jane. The Boat was released and ignited by skilled bowmen and as it reached the edged of the sea, Frigga body was transformed into starlight, proving that she would be accepted into Valhalla.

 

Loki would have preferred to return to his chambers and grieve for his mother privately, for the first time understanding the Midgard custom, but the attack by the Dark Elves, the approaching Convergence and the continued danger to Jane’s life from the Aether meant Loki had to put aside his grief to focus on ending this once and for all. The Aether was the Dark Elves greatest weapon and they would not leave it Asgard for long. He joined the War Council, much to Thor annoyance. Fandral had taken his Father’s place some months ago, so he was there as well. The Palace shield had been disabled and restoring it was the first priority. Without it Asgard was left open to attack from any number of enemies, not just the Dark Elves. With that settled, Loki then turned the attention of the meeting to the Aether.

“Thor, we must find a way to remove it from Jane. While it is on Asgard, the Dark Elves will return and soon. Malekith has only a few more days before the Convergence. If he misses the right time, it will be another 5000 years before he can try again. This will make him reckless. When he attacks again, it will cost far more in Aesir blood.” Loki was trying to make Thor understand the dangers they were in.

Thor glared at the rest of the council then jerked his head for them to leave. Fandral gave Loki a warning glance before he left. 

Thor looked at Loki as if he was about to tell off a child. “Loki, everything you have done has resulted in more trouble to Asgard. You left the Tesseract on Earth, you taught the witch ways into Asgard, you have allowed your obsession with Midgard cloud your judgment and now you have brought the Aether to Asgard, which in turn brought the Dark Elves here. MY Mother is dead because of that. So why should I listen to a word you have to say, when all you bring with you is death? Father should have left you on Jotunheim to die where he found you.”

Loki could not speak for a moment. While he had been well aware that the fact that Thor no longer held him in high regard, it never occurred to him that Thor could hate him so much. Loki had hoped that if his father ever recovered, that maybe the rift between the brothers could be healed. That would never happen now, Thor had made certain of that. Loki felt his heart break for the second time in as many days. He found he could not stand to be in Thor’s company any longer “My King, please forgive me, I will withdraw. I will be in my chambers if you require me.”

Thor nodded, finally glad to get his true feelings off his chest at last. Loki bowed, turned and walked away, but did not go to his chambers. He went to sit in his Mothers garden. Jane had been sitting there too. She had only known the Queen a short time, but she had been kind to Jane. After giving him some time to his own thoughts, Jane came over, sat next to her friend and took his hand. He looked at Jane and smiled sadly.

“My mother loved me without condition, irrespective of if I was her true son or not. Now she is gone, without Amora the chances of us reviving the Allfather are nearly impossible and my brother hates me. Tell me Jane, what is there for me here now?”

“Nothing, apart from your friends but I think they would rather you be happy, then being stuck here and miserable. Your brother is an ass and doesn’t deserve your loyalty” replied Jane putting her arm around his shoulders.

Loki couldn't help a small smile despite the sorrow in his heart. Jane matter of fact views were refreshing compared to the Asgardians who tipped toed around Thor, frightened of his temper which had been getting steadily worst the last few years.

Loki sat up straight. There was one more task Loki had to do for Asgard before he left. He had to get the Aether away and save Jane. “Well my dear, the first order of business is getting the Aether out of you and stopping Malekith before he destroys the universe. Then we will examine in more detail my broken family. Let us find the Warriors 3.”

 

They all gathered in the Tavern outside the Palace. Loki, Jane, The Warriors 3 and to every one’s surprise Sif. It would seem that even she had had enough of Thor. Loki scanned the group. What they were going to do would be treason and again Loki would rather not have to involve others then himself. This did not sit well with Loki. 

“My Friends I am sorry that I must ask this of you, but since Thor has bared me from the council, I have no means to do what needs to be done.”

Fandral spoke for the group “Loki, since your brother took the Throne, we have had to watch as you run behind him fixing his mistakes. Thor has been our friend and King, but it is you who has ruled Asgard and you are our friend also. We trust you and whatever you need we will help.”

Loki smiled “I have already spoken to Heimdall; he will not reveal what we are planning unless Thor asks him directly. As for the rest I will require a skiff, a distraction and something from the weapons vault.”

The group apart from Jane all blanched at the mention of the weapons vault. There were items there that were never meant to be used for any reason and without the Destroyer, there were guards stationed inside and out at all times. Getting anything out from there would be nearly impossible.

“Have no fears, Thor will be retrieving what I need.” Loki changed his glamour so he now appeared as Thor. The glamour changed again and Loki looked normal. “It would be best if there was someone to cover my retreat should anything go wrong. Fandral I will need you in the ship with Jane, you are the best pilot. Sif, you are the only one of us that Thor still trusts completely. I need you to distract him as long as possible. If any of you feel uncomfortable about this, tell me before we proceed.” 

Loki's question was met with silence so he proceeded to explain the rest of the plan.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Jane escape Asgard

Loki, Volstagg and Hogun were stood behind a pillar not far from the vault. While he could create the illusion of Thor, any break in his concentration and the illusion would be broken. The 2 warriors would be ready if they are needed to remove the guards. Sif was with Thor and Loki was sure he did not want to know how the Warrior Women was keeping his brother busy. Sif was an unexpected co-conspirator but both her and Loki had put differences aside more than once when needed and he had come to respect her even if he never liked her. 

Loki took a deep breath and brought up the image of Thor. He walked from behind the pillar and entered the vault. The guards look curious but said nothing. Thor rarely went to the vault, having no real interest in artefacts and weapons he could not use. Still they knew better then to question, Thor was not known for his leniency.

The guards inside were a different story. They were completely loyal to Thor and they knew he would never enter the Weapons vault without sending word in advance. 

Suspecting another Dark Elf attack, one attacked Loki while another raised the alarm. Loki dropped the illusion and quickly dispatched the remaining guards. He may lack Thor’s skill, but he was still better than the standard of the Palace Guards and they soon lay unconscious a round him. He walked over to the Casket of Ancient Winters. He was nervous. It had been years since he had been in same room as the treasure from his home land, and that was when he was still in ignorance. He had never held it, but this was his only choice.

The Aether was powerful and would need to been battled by an artefact which was just as powerful. The Tesseract was out of the question as two Infinity Stones working against each other could rip the universe to shreds. The Casket represented the wealth of power for an entire realm and had no equal other than the Stones themselves. He lifted it from the pedestal and his skin began to get chilled as the cold slipped into his body. 

Loki felt the power within the Casket and for a moment he was enthralled by the desire to return Jotunheim and take it for his own. To challenge the Father who abandoned him and become the King he was always meant to be. His hands began to change to blue and he started. No, that was not what he wanted. He wanted Midgard and a simple life, he wanted to be with Steve; he had had enough of Kings and ruling. So he cast the Casket into the temporal storage he used. 

He was back out in the corridor to find the remaining guards plus a few more were out cold with Volstagg and Hogun were breathing hard. The sounds from the hallways suggested they were about to be joined by more guards. 

“Loki, go. We will slow their pursuit until you escape.” Shouted Hogun, as he and Volstagg readied themselves for the fight.

Loki paused to cast a small spell on each before turning and sprinted to the windows in his chambers. Jane and Fandral were waiting outside on board the skiff, but they couldn’t get as close as they needed to for Loki to simply step aboard. Loki had to jump and landed in a heap in the deck. 

“Your time on the throne has made you no less graceful, Loki.” Fandral commented with a grin, his hand on the helm. 

Loki grinned back and jumped to his feet. The ship dropped down the water level, but they were still found themselves followed by another skiff which began firing on them. 

Fandral looked over his shoulder. “Loki, take the helm, I’m going to get rid of your pursuer. When I say, slow the ship and bring her up. Then get the hell out of here.”

Loki replaced Fandral at the helm. Fandral picked up a coil of rope and wrapped it around his hand and did not notice that Loki was whispering something under his breath. Jane was more observant.

Fandral first made a bow to Jane, before smiling at her and turned to Loki. “Good luck, my friend. NOW”

Loki raised the ship and reduced speed so the pursuer could catch them. Fandral, still holding the rope jumped over the edge and landed safely on the deck of the other ship. There were too many on board for him to hope to overpower so instead he took advantage of the surprise to disable the ship. 

This bought Loki and Jane the time they needed and they made their way to one of the mountain ranges surrounding Asgard.

Loki had been very efficient at closing the Pathways in to Asgard, but the approaching Convergence meant that there were new ones were opening and closing all the time. It took skill and a branch of rare magic to find Pathways and identify where they lead. Loki had to concentrate until he found the route he wanted. He changed course and headed to one of the many cave entrances. The cave opened out slightly in to a tunnel. Jane glanced back at the determined look on Loki face. All she could do was trust that her friend knew what he was doing.

The tunnel was narrow and the side of the ship were caught on outcrops of rock. As Jane watched the cave wall became streaks of light and it felt as if they were travelling through the Bifrost again. The scene changed to a barren waste land. Loki lost control of the ship and they crashed onto the dead earth.

 

Loki opens his eyes. He had not been out for more than a few minutes. He sat up and looked for Jane. She was lying on the ground a few feet away. He got to his feet and went over to her. There was no sign of injury and when he touched her shoulder, she opened her eyes. Her eyes however had begun to darken as the power of Aether was getting stronger. 

“Where are we?” Jane asked, looking at their surroundings.

“We are on Svartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves. Borr left it a wasteland after the final battle. There is no one but us if this goes wrong” replied Loki also looking about him. Malekith was linked to the Aether and would know that it had left Asgard. It was just a matter of time before they arrived; all they have to do is wait. 

“Loki, what did you do to Fandral? You were saying something under your breath as he left.” Asked Jane.

“A simple spell. It was like magical fingerprints. If Thor reacts the way I expect him to, he will use one of his magic users to examine them. They will see that each of them was under the influence of my magic. Thor has never accepted that his friends would support me on their own. With luck, Thor will think I was influencing them and not charge them with treason. I even got Sif before we left the tavern.” Sighed Loki. The last thing he wanted was his friends pulled down with him. 

Loki scanned the horizon. It was just waiting now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki attempts his plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry, this is another short chapter, but I do try to put the breaks where they form naturally in the narrative. the remaining chapters should be normal length.

Jane eyes became a bright shade of blue and she whispered “Malekith”

The pair had moved to higher ground to try and spot the Dark Elf ship approach. It was Jane who first saw it, almost as if she sensed it before it appeared in the sky. The ship dropped slowly until it touched the ground. Malekith, the nightmare creature and around 20 other Dark Elf foot soldiers exited the ship +and spread out.

Loki reached over and took Jane’s hand “Are you ready?”

Jane nodded “I’m just not sure what for.”

Loki didn’t reply. There were many ways this could go wrong and he wasn’t sure what would happen. He just needed to get close to Malekith. They didn’t have to wait long.

The foot soldiers had gone off in groups clearly searching for Jane. A sound behind caught Loki’s attention and he was up, facing the elves that had got behind them. It was a brief fight which ended with the elves dead at Loki’s feet. Of course there was nothing he could do about the ones that now had a knife to Jane’s throat. Loki raised his hands in surrender and the pair were dragged down the cliff.

 

“Well, the other Prince. The Frost Giant. I knew your Grandfather. It was he who sent Borr his Jotun wife. And it looks like you have brought me what I want. Must be a trait in your family” Said Malekith walking around him. The once white face was now scarred black on one side, the result of Thor’s attack on Asgard

Loki gave a token struggle, but his guards held him tight. Malekith turned his attention to Jane. “You have something of mine.”

As if she was attached to strings, Jane was lifted off her feet. She could feel the Aether under her skin answering the call of its master.

Loki watched as the dark red swirl appeared around Jane. It flowed like water towards Malekith. Timing it perfectly, Loki used his magic and hopped away from his captors. His summoned the Casket. It began to change him but he fought it, trying to keep control of the power he was wielding. He released a blast of ice magic at the Aether, but he was unable to control it. The blast froze the Aether for a second before it burst free, causing Loki to be flung backwards into a rock face. When he regained his feet, the Aether had been absorbed by Malekith.

The Dark Elf turned to the nightmare creature next to him “Your time is nigh, my old friend. Kill them and be at peace.”

Malekith and the others elves returned to the ship and left the three alone. The creature growled at Loki, but started heading towards Jane. Loki ran head long in to the creature, hoping to send it flying. The creature didn’t move. Jane got behind an outcrop of rock. Loki got back on his feet again and created 2 clones. The clones began attacking the creature hitting it from different directions. It wasn’t distracted for long however and after a few minutes, it focused its attack on the real Loki again. It grabbed Loki’s tunic and pulled him up to face. Loki could feel the heat coming off it and it was getting hotter by the second. He finally realised what the creature was. It was a Kursed, created by the elves from their own bodies. They were immensely strong, but had a limited lifespan and if Loki was right this one was nearly out of time. Loki managed to get one of his daggers in hand and stabbed it in its neck. The Kursed roared. It pulled the dagger out of it neck, looked at it and then stabbed Loki in the chest. 

“You will live long enough to see me rip the heart from that squirming worm” growled the Kursed. It dropped Loki like a rag doll and began to move towards Jane again. Loki wasn’t beaten yet and managed to get his hand to its ankle, ignoring the smell of burning flesh. 

“Time’s up, Monster.” He wheezed and used his magic to draw its remaining energy from it. 

The fire under the Kursed skin faded and its skin began to crumble until there was nothing left but a pile of ash. 

Jane ran to Loki, who had rolled on his back and was struggling to breathe. She took his undamaged hand and put her other hand over the hole in his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. “Loki, stay with me. Come on, you can’t let them win, hold on.”

Loki face had taken on a deathly pallor. His breathing was getting shallower and shallower. “Jane, Jane, wait for me. I……………” 

As Jane looked at Loki’s face, his eyes glazed over and his breathing stopped. Jane scanned the horizon, completely alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Jane return to Earth

Jane sat on a rock not far from Loki’s dead body, her own body still shaking with tears. He had told her to wait for him and that was not hard as there was nowhere for her to go. The problem was that she wasn’t sure if he knew he was dying when he said it. She had been alone now for nearly a day and her only hope as far she could see was that someone from Asgard came to look for them. 

Jane nearly fainted when she heard a hard rasping breath coming from Loki. She was at his side in seconds. The colour had returned to his cheeks and the wound in his chest looked nothing more than a scratch. 

Loki opened his eyes and looked at Jane. His sat up slowly. “How long was I gone?”

“Nearly a day.” And with that Jane slapped him across the face. “That was for making me think you were dead and this is for not being.” Jane pulled him in to a hard hug, kissing his cheek as she pulled away.

“We really need to find a better outlet for your anger. I am sorry for frightening you, there was no time to explain fully. Jotun can recover from injuries that would be fatal to other races, but to do so we must go into an almost death like state to channel the energies into the wound. I have been studying my race in great detail the last few years”

Loki rose to his feet. If he had been recovering for a day, then the Convergence could be due within the next few hours. The only way to know for sure was to get the Midgard. That would be the centre and where Malekith would need to be there to ensure success. Loki tried to focus his magic to find a Pathway to Earth, but he found he was still weak from his injury, thought he was getting stronger by the second.

A sand storm was heading their way, so Loki and Jane headed back to the rock face until they found a cave. They didn’t go far in when Jane kicked something metal. She looked down and saw a can. She picked it up and looked at it. It was the can Jane had thrown in the anomaly in the factory. They went a little further in and there was a set of keys resting on one of the rocks. Jane turned to Loki, who was looking at her a little confused. 

“There was a gravitational anomaly in the factory where you found me. Sometimes things would disappear.” Jane explained. She turned the keys over in her hand, frowning.

“Jane, if these things came from your world, then this anomaly could be a route back there.” Loki said as if continuing her chain of thought. Looking deeper into the cave, he led the way further in. They move forward slowly until one step they were in the cave, the next they were standing at the bottom of the stair well in the factory. 

Back in the yard, the car was still sat there. Darcy had clearly been forced to abandon it after Jane left with Loki. Almost from the second they arrived back on Earth, Jane phone sounded repeatedly with voicemail and text message alerts, mostly from Darcy demanding to know where Jane was. Only the last one was interesting. Darcy, it seemed had finally been able to track down Erik so the pair jumped in the car and headed to the apartment.

 

When they walked in through the door, Darcy practically jumped on Jane, hugging her tightly before moving on to Loki. “Where did you guys go? You can’t just leave like that. The whole world is going crazy. All the stuff we saw is spreading.”

Jane look bewildered until Darcy handed her the scanner. Her eyes grew wide and she tilted the screen to show Loki. The readings were off the charts. While he did not understand the readouts as he had no real point of reference, he could tell the natural order of the realm was badly disturbed, which made sense with magical chaos he had been feeling since he arrived.

Erik came out from the kitchen, wearing only a shirt and a pair of briefs. “Jane! How wonderful. You’ve been to Asgard.” Erik says looking her up and down and noting the dress she was still wearing.

“Erik” yells Jane, clearly relieved to see him at last. She hugs him tight. “Where are your pants?”

Darcy looked at Jane as if she had asked the same question, but it was Ian that answered “Oh, he, uh… He says it helps him think.”

Jane shrugged, figuring that something wasn’t worth arguing over. She turned to the piles of notes that were spread across the table “Okay, well, I’m going to need everything you’ve got on this. All the work you’ve been doing on gravimetric anomalies, everything.”

Erik turned and noticed Loki for the first time. “Loki, it’s good to see you.” He took Loki’s arm and pulled him away from the others for a moment “Amora, is she….has she…..this hasn’t got anything to do with her, has it?”

Loki thought for a second. He didn’t want to worry the poor man. Jane had told Loki how badly effected Erik had been by Amora’s influence. The last thing he needed was to know that she had escaped. It was unlikely she would be able to return to Midgard anyway. “No, my friend, she is still on Asgard serving her sentence.”

 

Erik seemed pleased and joined Jane to assess the Data. Loki could be of no real help so he went into the bedroom. He needed to be alone for a little while. He had yet to think about his failure to prevent Malekith gaining control of the Aether or what he planned to do to stop him using it to plunge the Universe into darkness.

 

To his surprise, it was Darcy who came looking for him. The girl had an odd view on the world, so different from the rest of the people he had meet on Earth. “How you doing? Jane said you had a bit of a hard time.”

“Hard would be an understatement, my dear. I failed to destroy the Aether. I promised those I left behind on Asgard I could do it, but I failed. It would seem Thor was right about me. Everything I attempt ends in ruin.” Loki rubbed his hands over his face.

“What this Thor guy says really matters, does it? Jane seems to think he’s a jerk.” Said Darcy. She slumped down on the bed next to Loki.

“He is my Brother and my King but yes that is an appropriate way to describe him of late. It’s not that. I had the chance to end this, to stop Malekith from succeeding, but I wasn’t strong enough. For hundreds of years, my people controlled the Casket of Ancient Winter to raise Jotunheim to greatness. It took a war with Asgard to bring them to their knees. I am the son of a King, the Casket is my right and yet I can’t control the power within.”

“Why? If you are a Frost Giant and this Casket is from your home, why can’t you use it?” asked Darcy, eating some corn chips that had appeared in her hand. Loki always marvelled on the way this girl was never really fazed by the world around. She was illogical but strangely made more sense than many others around her.

“It tried to control me, when I held it I felt the desire to go home and claim my Throne, to kill Laufey and I don’t want that. If I wanted a Throne I could have had Asgard years ago when the nobles offered, it to me. Twice. All I want is to live in this realm with Steve.” Loki stopped suddenly. He glanced at Darcy, feeling sorry for the girl’s crush. 

Darcy shrugged, not seeming too bothered by Loki’s slip. “You make it sound as if it was alive.”

Loki continued “In a way it is. All powers such as the Casket or the Infinity Stones have a life force of their own.”

“Then maybe it was trying to make you see something. You’re not really from Asgard are you? Maybe it is time to stop being a Norse God and try being a Jotun.” With that, Darcy jumped off the bed. She turned back for a second and said “Loki and Captain America. There’s a cute couple.”

And she left Loki with more to think about then he had before. 

Thor paced the Throne room. The shield had been restored finally and the repairs to the Palace were underway. But all Thor could think about was getting Loki back into a cell where he belonged. Heimdall claimed that Loki had cloaked himself to prevent him seeing where his was. The warriors 3 and the Lady Sif simply refused to tell Thor anything, that was the oath they had made between themselves while they sat in their cell. As Loki had predicted, Thor had the court Mage (the one below Loki) look for signs of magic which he found. As a result, Thor could not charge them with treason no matter how much he wanted to. All the evidence pointed to them being under Loki’s influence and that was that. Thor hoped that in time the absolute loyalty they felt for Loki would fade and that he would regain his friends.

The only satisfaction he had was that the Convergence was soon. As Midgard was at the centre, the magic of the Convergence would cause massive damage and the realm would be forced back into a more primitive stage then it was now. That should stop them interfering any more than they already had for centuries to come. 

The fact that if Loki failed, the whole universe would be plunged into darkness didn’t register with Thor at all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki takes on Malekith in London

Jane and Eric had spent hours going over the data. Loki had joined them after sitting alone thinking about what Darcy had said.

Jane rubbed her face “We know that Malekith is going to fire the Aether at a spot where all the nine world are connecting.”

Erik looks from his calculations to Jane “Amplifying the weapon’s impact. For each additional world, the power will increase exponentially. The effect would be universal.”

“He will have but a short widow to achieve this. Once the convergent has past and the realms drift apart the Aether will consume his life-force and return to its natural state, if the stories are to be believed.” Said Loki, trying to remember his Mother’s lesson on the Infinity Stones.

“Well, how do we know where that point is?” asked Darcy. Loki couldn’t answer. With time he could use his magic to pinpoint the location but it could be anywhere on Earth and time was not plentiful.

“We follow the directions.” Said Erik, surprising everyone. He grabbed a map and laid it over the table. “This has happened before, thousands of years ago, and the Ancients were there to see it. All the great constructions, the Mayans, the Chinese, the Egyptians. They made use of the gravitational effects of the Convergence. And they left us a map. And the anomalies first appeared here”

They watched as he drew lines through many of the country’s oldest land marks. “Stonehenge, Snowden, the Great Orme. These are all coordinates taking us… Here.”

Erik taps the pen to the point on the map where all the lines cross.

Ian looks down at the map and up to Erik. “Greenwich?”

Jane looks at the reads on the scanner “The walls between worlds will be almost non-existent. Physics is going to go ballistic. Increases and decreases in gravity, spatial extrusions… The very fabric of reality is going to be torn apart.”

Loki smiles broadly “We had better find a way to stop it then.”

Erik swallowed at the look on his friend’s face. “I better get my pants.”

 

Loki was standing on the roof of the Greenwich University, watching Malekith’s ship cut a trench from the Themes through the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College. Jane and the others were planting the gravimetric spikes around the site. If Erik had calibrated them correctly, they should stabilize Midgard, allowing the Convergence to happen without causing massive damage to the realm.

The ship finally stopped halfway alone the Quad. The crowd that had gathered when the ship was first spotted had fled, while Jane and the others had tried to get as many out of the surrounding the buildings as possible. There were however people watching from windows with some even filming the ship. This would get on to the internet for the whole world to see including SHIELD.

Loki was surprised that SHIELD had sent no one to investigate the anomalies. He had expected to return to the Avengers waiting for him, but had been disappointed (he tried not to think of Steve). Every attempt by Jane and Erik to contact them had failed and Loki had no means to reach them himself in the time they had. They were on their own.

A hatch in the ship opened and Malekith walked out in the sunshine. Loki could feel the Aether and the power was almost overwhelming. Loki took a deep breath knowing that this would be the end one way or another. He teleported on the Quad behind the Dark Elf.

Malekith turned to Loki, clearly surprised to see him “It would seem you are stronger then you look, Jotun, to have beaten the Kursed. You cannot win, there is nothing more powerful than the Darkness and that is how the Universe must be.”

“You are wrong, Malekith. The Universe is both Light and Darkness. That is the beauty of the chaos of life and I am rather partial to chaos.” Replied Loki, steeling himself.

Malekith scowled before sending a blast of the Aether at Loki. It hit and sent him flying. Still, he was back on his feet and approaching the Dark Elf again. Again Malekith used the Aether and again Loki was flung back. The third time, the energy vanished as Jane had used the spikes to create an artificial anomaly in front of Loki. 

All the while, the shadows of the other realms appeared in the sky. They were slowly being drawn together and the ground below them began to shake slightly. Malekith looked up and turned his back Loki. The Convergence was seconds away and Malekith slowly released the Aether, creating a shroud of Darkness around himself.

“Stop” shouted Loki now standing with the Casket in his hands. 

Malekith turned back to him. Loki was now in his true form, the glamour having collapsed completely. In fact, the longer he held the Casket, the taller he became until he was a true Frost Giant, a full 9 feet, deep blue and muscle bound. The Casket was glowing brightly now as if in challenge to the Aether.

“You cannot win” Malekith repeated.

“I don’t need to win, you just need to lose.” Growled Loki, his voice now much deeper.

Loki unleashed the full power of the Casket of Ancient Winter, but didn’t use it to attack Malekith. Darcy had been right, the Casket was almost alive and the Aether was draw to the immense life-force that was within. Malekith was losing his hold on the Infinity Stone and Loki could feel his struggle to keep control. It was a battle of wills as much as anything else.

At the last moment, Loki pulled the power back, sealing it again within the casket. The Aether was flung back at Malekith and within seconds it consumed everything Malekith had left. The Dark Elf scream was deafening. The Aether released its power but the convergence had past. Without a target, the Aether destroyed the closes thing to it, the Dark Elf ship. The ship disintegrated in a matter of seconds finishing in a massive shock wave. The wave hit Loki, sending him flying back, crashing through a dozen stone pillar of the university front.

 

Darcy found him lying on a pile of rubble. He had now returned to his normal size but was still blue. Thankfully he was still out of it so he didn’t see the look of surprise on her face. She knelt down next to him, gingerly reaching out her hand to his arm. His skin was cool but nothing uncomfortable.

Loki stirred under her touch. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly. She smiled “The Dark Elf dude is a goner and we’re not back in the Stone Age, so I think we can say we won.”

Loki nodded slowly, exhausted. So many of his adventures had left him drained lately. He going to have to take a step back from being the hero for a while.

Jane and Erik rounded the corner at that moment. “Wow, Loki, is that you?” asked Jane taken aback.

Loki looked at his skin for the first time. He had always reverted back to his Asgard form before, it never occurred to him that he would still look Jotun.

“Forgive me. It will take me a moment to restore my Glamor.” He said lightly.

“Loki, you sure you want to do that? This is want you look like really after all.” Asked Darcy.

Loki smiled. “I am a Jotun, but I can choice what I look like and I am very fond of my Asgard form. The glamour will be under my control now. This is what I want, my friends.”

Seconds later, Loki was once more pale skinned, with his emerald eyes. With help from Erik, he got to his feet. They made their way to Malekith’s body. There was little left, but hidden under some bones was 2 stones, pressed tightly together. Between the two was a red glow. The Aether, it would seem. As predicted, it had returned to its dormant form. Loki levitated it and cast in along with the Casket into the temporal storage once more.

Everyone attention was drawn by the Bifrost depositing Fandral in front of the remains of the Dark Elf. Loki hugged him, relieved that he wasn’t in the Dungeons, while Fandral was thanking the Norns his friend was still alive.

“Loki, Thor wants you to return the Casket to Asgard and come as well to give an account of your actions here.” Fandral said grimly

Loki clenched his fists. Why couldn’t Thor just leave him alone? If he returned, he was certainly not going to walk in to a celebration. A cell was more likely.

Fandral held out his hand. “Gave me the Casket and walk away. I will tell Thor I couldn’t find you and you can hide yourself from Heimdall.”

“Fandral, I have never run from Thor nor do I wish to hide myself away for the rest of my life. He sent you to test your loyalty and if you return without me, he will simply send you to the dungeons and I won't allow that. Stop looking at me like that, you know he will come himself to fetch me if I refuse anyway, but I will not bow to his will anymore. Give me a moment and we can depart.”

Loki said his goodbyes again. To Erik he said “If you can, my friend, contact Tony Stark. He should be able to get a message to Captain Rogers for me. Tell him that I am coming back to him.”

Erik had been out of it after the battle of New York, but even he couldn’t miss the looks the pair were giving each other. He nodded, more than happy to help.

Loki turned and found Jane and Fandral in each other’s arms. It would seem that Fandral had done more than simply keep an eye on her on Asgard. Loki coughed and the pair broke apart reluctantly. He shook his head and Fandral smiled at him. At least his friend would have a reason to visit often. 

Loki and Fandral moved into a clear space and call for Heimdall to take them home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final fight is a little short, but for me the sequence in the film was bordering on ridiculous so I hope I have written one that is more down to Earth


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is free from Thor at last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify the timeline, we have now moved beyond the events which happen in Winter Soldier. I will explain at the end of the next chapter.

Loki stood at the Bifrost, feeling that for the first time in years he was finally free. 

He had returned with Fandral to Asgard, intending to secure the Casket to the weapons vault and collect his most valuable possessions, before leaving again for good. The Aether, he handed to Sif the moment he arrived in the observatory, giving clear instructions for her to take it to a being known as the Collector. With the Tesseract already on Asgard, Loki didn’t think it wise to give Thor control of another Infinity Stone. Sif had travelled much in her service to Asgard and knew what to do. She and Volstagg left while Heimdall could still allow it.

Thor had grudgingly accepted that Loki’s actions had stopped Malekith. While unhappy when Loki told him the Aether had vanished into one of the other realms after the battle, he had no choice but to accept it as truth when it wasn’t found on his person. He was satisfied to have the Casket back under Asgard control. However, Thor wanted to control Loki as well and demanded he remain on Asgard to serve again as advisor. Loki refused, making it clear his chooses were to allow Loki to leave for Midgard again or have him locked in the dungeons. Thor did confine Loki to his chambers for a month before Fandral, Hogan and a host of other nobles from across the realms declared that they would abandon Asgard if this continued. The realms had witnessed Loki save the universe from Malekith and regarded him as a hero.

Thor was forced to concede. There were two conditions. Loki must not reveal any of Asgard technological advances to the mortals and he must return if Thor sent for him in the case of invasion or other disaster. Loki agreed. He would never completely abandon Asgard; he was after all still Thor’s heir for the time being and would always return if his friends were in danger. He also truly believed Earth was not ready for the power Asgard possessed.

Fandral and the rest came to say their goodbyes and he entreated them to visit if Thor permitted. Loki was not sorry to leave, Asgard had been his prison because of Thor for too long and now it was time for him to find his own way for a while. He had only one regret. He had sat with the Allfather for nearly a day. He had long forgiven him for secret of his birth and longed for his Father to return to him. Loki wished there was something he could do to bring him back, but without Amora there was nothing and Loki had accepted he was now truly orphaned. He nodded briefly to his friends and turned away from Asgard, as the Bifrost took him.

 

It was early evening and Steve took a last look round the apartment. The last few boxes had been loaded onto the van Tony had sent and soon he would be on his way back to New York. Steve had not realised just how much SHEILD had run his life or how little he actually owned even after all this time. The apartment had been an asset of SHIELD’s and that, along with nearly all the furniture, was being repurposed by the Government. He could have bought another apartment in the city, he had been paid rather well as an operative, but Tony had offered for him to come and live at the newly renamed Avengers Tower and Steve was sure that he could decorate his room the way he wanted when he got there, plus of things didn’t work out, there was always Brooklyn. Bruce had moved in after the Battle of New York and now that SHIELD had gone, Natasha and Clint were joining him. 

Steve was also sure that if Bucky was going to go anywhere, it would be straight to New York. In the months that followed the collapse of SHIELD the Winter Solider had been seen once at the Captain America exhibit. By the time Steve had got there, Bucky had vanished again. This was going to be a long search, as Bucky had received some of the best training World War 2, the KGB and Hydra could provide. Sam was going to keep his ear to the ground in Washington while Steve covered New York. Tony had also agreed to keep Jarvis checking all communications and camera feeds just in case he turns up on the grid elsewhere.

When Steve moved in, there would be only one Avenger missing. It had been over a year since the incursion in London, nearly a year since he got the message that Loki was coming back. Still, there was no sign of him. Loki had explained about the time differences between realms before he left with Amora, so he had not given up hope just yet. His heart still ached. To have his lover on Earth and not been able to get to him in time had nearly ripped a piece of his soul out completely. Steve still didn’t understand why SHIELD hadn’t got involved in the events with the Alien Ship. Steve had been on a S&R mission with Clint and Natasha, and Tony was still recovering from his surgery at the time it was all taking place and they hadn’t been briefed until 4 days after Loki left. Steve had met up with Dr Selvig after he had got in contact with Tony, so he knew why Loki had returned to Asgard so quickly, but that didn’t make the hurt any less. 

There was a knock at the door. It was almost certainly the van driver come to tell Steve he was ready to go. Steve still had some papers to sign, so he would be spending tonight in a hotel and hitting the road in the late morning. He opened the door and was left speechless at the sight of Loki standing on his former doorstep. His hair had grown longer since the last time they had been together, now well past his shoulders and he was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, but it was him. Steve reached out his hand, hoping to god that he hadn’t fallen asleep. Loki met his touch with his own hand, interlocking their fingers together. Steve pulled Loki close and kissed him, finally accepting the man before him was real.

 

Thor sat on the Throne of Asgard, more alone then he had ever felt before. His Father and Mother were both gone, Loki had abandoned him to pursue his own enjoyments on Midgard and his friends had proved time and again that none of them could be trusted. He was also forced to once again take on the full weight of his responsibilities, something he had been able to avoid while Loki was there to shoulder the burden for him.

While he refused to really admit it to himself, Thor found that he missed Loki for more than just helping him rule Asgard. Loki was a part of him, he could see that now. Whatever had happened between them they were brothers and he was just starting to feel that maybe he had been too hard on him. It was clear that until that up until day in the Throne room after Frigga’s funeral, Loki loved Thor still. Now Thor wasn’t sure.

A servant suddenly ran into the throne room. “My king, it is the Allfather.” 

Thor rose and ran all the way to his Father’s chambers. Odin was on his feet in full armour, looking stronger then as ever before. “Thor, my son. The spell that witch cast has finally broken.” The Allfather looked about him “Thor, where are your mother and brother? Surely they should be here as well.”

Thor shifted uncomfortably. It was said that the Allfather was aware of the world around him when in the Odinsleep but this one was so strange, that it is no surprise that Odin was ignorant of the events that had transpired.

“Father, the Dark Elves were not wiped out as we feared. The Aether was brought to Asgard and they followed and attacked.” Thor lifted his eyes to meet Odin’s “during the battle, a group breached that Palace defences and killed Mother in her chambers.”

Odin sank back on the bed. The attendances hurried to him fearing the shock would trigger another sleep but he waved that away. His voice shook slightly when he spoke again. “Frigga, did she die well?”

“She fought with honour and her soul has been accepted into Valhalla.” Replied Thor a faint smile on his lips.

“And your brother, where is Loki?” Asked the Allfather. Thor noted that there was much less concern in his voice, as if Loki was an afterthought.

Thor paused for a moment. The last thing he wanted was for his father to think that he has driven Loki from Asgard. He pushed away his growing regret over his treatment of his brother and said, “Loki was the one who brought the Aether here in the first place. Out of guilt for Mother’s death, he acted recklessly and so doing handed the Dark Elves the Aether. They nearly succeed in their plans, but I allowed Loki to use the Casket of Ancient Winters so that he may revert to his base nature and he was able to stop them. I have sent him to Midgard to lick his wounds and he will not return until summoned.”

When his Father didn’t continue, Thor pressed forward. “Father, Loki has done little to aid me in ruling Asgard, despite your wishes and has argued with me at every turn. He has doubted my wisdom to rule and I feel he has tried to usurp the Throne by under handed means. He has turned many of the nobles against me, including my dearest friends.”

Odin stood and walked to Thor “My son, I am grieved over the death of your Mother and that Loki has failed in his duty to Asgard and I feel there are more tales to tell. Still, we must look to the future.”

With his arm around his shoulders, Odin led Thor from the chamber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Steve share their experiences since New York. Thor fails to see the truth on Asgard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a really problem with what to do at the end of this one. Having Loki in Winter Soldier would have changed the story line dramatically and there is no way that Loki would have left Steve to deal with the situation on his own. I just couldn't make it work so I did it this way instead.

Steve woke up in the hotel room, the sun shining through the windows. He lay there for a moment before he turned and looked at the other side of the bed. Loki was still sleeping; his black hair messed up on the pillow. Steve let out the breath he had been holding, relieved that last night wasn’t a dream. He ran his fingers over Loki’s arm, causing him to stir. 

“I should warn you, Rogers, my sleeping habits have not changed in the last 100 years. You remember the rules from the tents, you wake me up when there is no gun fire, I’ll break your fingers.” Loki said groggily. He still turned and smiled. Steve grinned back. He remembered the grumpy Captain who hated being woken up early and pulled Loki in for a morning kiss.

The pair hadn’t said much last night, Loki only confirming that he was staying for as long as he was wanted and Steve telling him of the move back to New York. Both had stories to tell and a world of hurt which to recover from, but just being with each other had eased some of the pain already.

 

“So it has been a year since the convergence? I am sorry, Steve, I had no idea the time difference would shift so radically.” Loki said. The pair were curled up on the bed, neither wishing to leave the safety of the others arms for a little while yet. Loki had just finished telling Steve everything about his time on Asgard since the battle of New York and the events of London. 

“I knew you were coming, that was all that mattered. It’s not like I haven’t been distracted.” Steve swallowed. There was so much to tell.

“Loki, SHIELD is gone. It would seem we didn’t do a good enough job in 1944 when we beat Hydra. The SSR used people like Zola to push forward their scientific research and those people ended up controlling things from the inside. Not just the US but Russia too. SHIELD was rotten to the core. Not Fury, for all his lies he was on the right side, but the men higher up and in the ranks. People in government, even my own team.”

Loki rubbed Steve arm gently. He knew how much Steve hated Hydra.

“They tried to kill Fury and as far as the world knows, they succeeded. Only me, Natasha and a few others know the truth. They wanted to control the world, kill anyone who was a threat to them, even before they became a threat. They were going to kill millions in one day. We stopped them but we had to rip SHIELD apart to do it.”

“Steve, that was Howard’s and Peggy’s legacy, I’m so sorry.” Loki said reaching up to kiss Steve’s cheek.

Steve looked at Loki and the other man knew that the worst was yet to come. “He didn’t die. Whatever they did to him before I got him out, Bucky didn’t die falling from the train. Hydra found him, experimented on him, handed him to the Russians. They turned him into a super assassin, the Winter Soldier. They found a way to freeze him, to keep him alive. They wiped his memory, made him the perfect killer. They sent him to defend Hydra, to….kill me. He nearly did it too and we gave each other quite a beating. Then he ran. I don’t know where is, Loki, but Bucky is out there somewhere.”

Loki pulled back from Steve a little and turned away, not wanting Steve to see the self-loathing on his face right now. “Is there anything left from the man we knew?”

Steve slid his arm over Loki’s waist and pulled him back in close. He knew that Loki would be feeling the same guilt he had over that mission, the mission that still hunted them 70 years later. “Bucky saved me, I was drowning and he pulled me out of the river again. He’s in there, I know he is. We just need to find him.”

 

After they had talked about everything that had happened in the time they were apart, they finally got out of bed. Steve called Tony, eager to ensure that Loki was welcome at the Tower, which of course he was. The Avengers were fully aware of the blossoming romance and were thrilled to have their number complete again. 

Steve took Loki to meet Sam and Loki stayed with him while Steve dealt with his final connections to SHIELD (Steve didn’t want Loki on anyone’s radar just yet). Once that was sorted, the pair boarded Steve's bike and headed for New York.

 

Thor looked out on Asgard, content for the first time in years. His Father had stepped down as King in favour of Thor, but had chosen to remain at court and took Loki’s place as advisor. It would seem the Allfather’s opinion of Loki was not as high as everyone had supposed and was happy for him to remain ignorant on Midgard. No one else knew what Thor had told the Allfather about Loki and the exiled Prince was not discussed. Earth itself was declared off limits with Heimdall given strict instructions to bar all travel and ignore all requests from the realm. Odin said the realm itself was still not ready to re-join the Nine Realms. Fandral protested and demanded to be sent to Midgard to join Loki, but was refused. He was sent instead to a border post on the edge of Asgard. Hogun was sent to Vanaheim and similar fates awaited Volstagg and Sif as soon as they returned from wherever they had gone to.

Having his own opinions shared by his father only inflated Thor’s ego more and made him set aside the swing his feels had taken in Loki’s favour. He turned and headed for the stables deciding to go on yet another hunt. Had he stayed, he may have seen Amora step out from behind one of the pillars. She watched him leave and laughed to herself.

“There is always another opportunity.” Said Amora talking to herself. She stepped off the balcony, a glamour rising as she walked. By the time she was in view of the guards, it was the Allfather standing before them once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is the end of part 4
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not sure when I will get part 5 up as I'm about half way through writing but it will be ASAP

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback as always welcome


End file.
